AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

TECHNICAL PAPER STADIUM AND STADIUM PARK Abstract

In the construction of Optus Stadium and appointed in 2014 to design, build, partially the surrounding Stadium Park, has finance and facilities manage the Stadium. delivered a truly world-class venue for . A ‘one team’ approach was taken from the outset, with the Multiplex and Client teams co- Located on the Burswood Peninsula, the 60,000 located on site to foster a collaborative working seat multi-purpose Stadium can host a variety relationship. All team members were energised of sports and entertainment events including to work toward the project’s shared vision of Australian Football League, , soccer, rugby delivering a world-class stadium in an activated and concerts. sports and entertainment precinct. The surrounding Stadium Park provides year- The result is an innovative design which ensures round access for visitors of all ages, with facilities an exceptional event atmosphere and home including nature playgrounds in the Chevron Parkland, the BHP Boardwalk and Amphitheatre, ground advantage. picnic and barbeque areas, public art, recreational facilities and bars and restaurants. Construction of Optus Stadium and Stadium Park was delivered over three weeks ahead of Multiplex was responsible for the design and schedule. It is owned by the Western Australian construction of the Stadium and surrounding State Government and opened to the public on precinct as part of the Westadium Consortium, January 21, 2018.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Optus Stadium and Stadium Park | Technical Paper 2 1. Scope of Work The consortium comprises John Laing (equity investor and asset manager), Multiplex (lead Multiplex was responsible for managing a design design and construction contractor), BGIS team consisting of three architects and 20 (facilities manager leading the maintenance consultants, as well as engaging more than 130 and services delivery), and Brookfield Financial subcontractors and suppliers to deliver the full (financial adviser). range of trades and services. The State of Western Australia funded 60 per The Stadium itself is a six-level steel and concrete cent of the design and construction (paid during structure with a colosseum seating bowl of the three year design and construction phase) 60,000 seats, designed with the potential to and Westadium is responsible for financing the increase to 70,000 seats within the existing remaining 40 per cent of the infrastructure. structure. A lightweight fabric roof covers 85% of seats and creates a suspended ‘halo’ effect. 3. Rehabilitation of the Burswood Peninsula The structure is clad with a striking anodised aluminium façade reflecting WA’s unique geology Previous land use of the Burswood Peninsula and incorporating LED lighting displaying team meant that at project commencement, the site colours. Over 50 food and beverage options was registered as ‘possibly contaminated – are provided including restaurants, cafes and investigation required’ under the Contaminated other outlets. The Stadium also hosts 17 distinct Sites Act 2003 (WA). premium product areas, the largest variety of any stadium in Australia. Additionally, the site is located adjacent to the protected Swan River and interconnected with With a vision of a ‘Stadium within a park’, the the river via an onsite river fed tidal lake. scope of work also consisted of hard and soft landscaping over an area of 41 hectares, As a result, the ground conditions for the project including the design and construction of nature were particularly challenging. Site investigations play areas, a boardwalk and amphitheatre, a found that the upper eight metres of ground community arbour and a number of cycle and consisted of fill including concrete, fly ash, car pedestrian pathways connecting the precinct. bodies and household appliances. Multiplex managed and coordinated the design Beneath this fill, the estuarine sediment known as consultant team to interpret the brief and develop the Swan River Alluvium was found to depths of a compliant and coordinated design solution with 25 metres, overlying stiffer clays and sandstone. buildability input. Environmental challenges included management Key challenges included overcoming poor ground of potential impacts to ground and surface water, conditions and implementing a delayed design contaminated soils, and ground gases. Site and procurement process without impacting on- specific management plans and procedures were time delivery of the project. developed and implemented to manage these risks and included: 2. Type of Contract • Developing a soil capping strategy involving Optus Stadium and Stadium Park was procured warning layers and importing over 40,000 through a Public Private Partnership using cubic metres of high quality top soil a Design-Build-Finance-Maintain (DBFM) • Implementing a comprehensive ground and procurement model. surface water monitoring system • Requirement for a ground gas membrane to The Westadium consortium was awarded the the satisfaction of an impartial Contaminated DBFM contract in August 2014, which includes a Site Auditor 25 year maintenance period.

Optus Stadium and Stadium Park | Technical Paper 3 Multiplex’s target was the reclassification of the of the precinct including the Chevron Parkland and site’s contamination status to enable it to be utilised BHP Amphitheatre and Boardwalk, while meeting for its intended purpose as a Stadium and precinct. stringent environmental requirements for the site.

This was successfully achieved with the Over 2,700m2 of sheet piling was also installed to Independent Auditor and Government further prevent any contaminants migrating into Environmental agencies endorsing the targeted the Swan River. reclassification for the site. It was also achieved ahead of the targeted date, being the first public The Stadium structure itself is supported by over event being held at the Stadium. 2,600 piles to depths of 36 metres. In total over 30,000m3 of concrete was used for the ground 4. Ground Improvement improvement works, representing nearly a third of the concrete used on the Stadium structure in total. A number of different ground improvement techniques were used to counter the conditions. A 5. Ground Gas Mitigation 20,000m2 area within the Stadium Park underwent dynamic compaction and surcharge loading to A further common environmental impact from collapse large voids, like those created by car landfill sites is the presence of ground gases bodies or similar items located within the fill. such as methane and carbon dioxide in the soil. Additionally the Swan River Alluvium is known Over 8,000m2 of vertical drains were installed to produce ground gases due to the organic to the Bus Hub area. Due to objects in the fill content within the soil. blocking the installation of the drains, over 50% of the area was required to be pre-punched to Initial testing of the site identified the presence of clear obstructions. gases including methane and carbon dioxide. In a ‘worse case’ scenario, gases could enter the Over 10,000 Controlled Modulus Columns building once constructed and pose a hazard to (CMCs) were used to improve ground conditions human health or create a potentially explosive across a 60,000m2 area of the Stadium Park atmosphere. adjacent to the Swan River and river-fed lake. As such, gas mitigation was identified as a CMCs are a relatively new technology to Western requirement to remediate the site for its intended Australia and the Stadium was one of the first use. projects to utilise CMCs to this extent. As opposed to pre-loading this area, which may have pushed There is no set standard for gas mitigation in contaminants into the Swan River and river-fed Western Australia. A compound known as lake, CMCs work by improving the characteristics ‘Golden Boot’ is commonly used in , of compressible ground by use of rigid inclusions. however this was identified as being sensitive to heat and therefore not suitable for use in ’s This successfully improved the ground for key areas warm climate.

Optus Stadium and Stadium Park | Technical Paper 4 Multiplex instead employed the innovative use of The project had several external interfaces with an existing product - utilising the Enviro HP1600 independent contractors adjacent or within the water proofing membrane as a gas membrane. project site including the Stadium Operator, This had recently been used by Multiplex on the Swan River Pedestrian Bridge, Public Transport adjacent Crown Towers development on a much Authority train station development and Victoria smaller scale (the first time it had been used for Park Drive road realignment. this purpose in Western Australia). Other interfaces included State utilities upgrading The Stadium is the first time Enviro HP1600 has water, communications and power provisions to been successfully implemented on such a large site. footprint and has proven meet the stringent specifications for a ground gas mitigation solution. All interfaces were successfully managed by Multiplex as the lead contractor for the precinct, 6. Logistics, Interfaces and with regular interface meetings held to maintain dialogue and transparency. Constraints With the site classified as ‘potentially On-site logistics required careful consideration contaminated’ the site team also carefully due to the large volume of traffic movement in managed all civil works and tracked all civil and around site, with multiple work fronts under earthwork movements, minimising disruption, construction. At peak 18 cranes were operating re-using spoil where possible and avoiding cross- on the site, including eight tower cranes. contamination.

This was managed by dedicated logistics team A peak workforce of around 1,350 people coordinating day-to-day works and upcoming also meant there were significant logistics major deliveries, including road closures to deliver considerations around the movement and 50 steel roof trusses. accommodation of workers on site.

With a limited laydown area available, a Just in Time Amenities were provided on-site for all workers, (JIT) delivery system was established peaking at with parking and shuttle bus facilities established 500 vehicles per day and averaging three vehicles at the nearby Belmont Park to ensure ease per minute during peak times. All deliveries were of access to the project and reduce traffic booked and managed through a specialised and congestion on surrounding infrastructure. dedicated Multiplex Site Logistics team. PROJECT TEAM

Optus Stadium and Stadium Park | Technical Paper 5 7. Technology-focused Stadium reviews and clash detection were carried out in the model, which had particular value during Ensuring the latest technology was available at the incorporation of the delayed design and the Stadium opening was a key focus for the procurement works, where the time between the project. Multiplex developed a delayed design completion of the design and installation became and procurement process for the AV and ICT particularly short. systems to allow the most current technology to be installed without affecting the on-time delivery BIM was also used for progress tracking on site of the project. using QR code scanning systems for the primary Project Team structure and all FF&E, with weekly status images Technology features include: captured directly from the model. • The world’s largest LED integrated sports lighting system including sport lights, halo The fast paced programme for the project forced roof canopy lights and 7km of lighting in the an overlap of design and construction, compressing Stadium’s anodised aluminium façade. design. To adapt to this, a central BIM server was • High density Wi-Fi allowing fans to set up on site with all subcontractors having live simultaneously access and view streaming access to each other’s models. Combined with video and other content services, with cloud based model synchronisation for interstate over 1,400 wireless access points installed and overseas modellers, the continual flow of throughout the venue. information allowed everyone to access the most • Two 340m2 mega screens, the largest up to date data at all times. screens in a sporting facility in the southern hemisphere. The delayed design portion of the stadium • Over 1,000 screens across the venue that are utilised this along with in-house architectural independently addressable from the Event drafters to design, coordinate and model all 100+ Control Room, enabling full flexibility on the catering spaces in a staged sequence tailored to content that can be shown. site progress. • High level CCTV security using Siemens’ integrated security management platform - a FF&E was managed using QR Codes generated first for an Australian stadium. through Google Sheets application programming interfaces (APIs), connected to a customised phone app that integrated Aconex Field QR IDs, 8. Building Information Modelling allowing FF&E install and issue tracking live from (BIM) site and mapped against design.

Technology was also a focus in the design and Laser scanning was utilised to asses steel construction process, with one of deformation/deflection tolerances and ensure the first projects in Australia to deliver Building that integration with the façade was seamless. Information Management (BIM) to Level of Development (LOD) 500. Cloud-based issue tracking software system JIRA was used to track client comments and sign-off This means an entire ‘as-built’ model of the brief compliance. These were linked directly to Stadium and Stadium Park was delivered to Aconex documents and correspondence through the client to be utilised throughout the 25-year custom coding and back-end APIs. maintenance period. The industry-leading use of BIM also provided the All assets within the Stadium are tagged and coded opportunity to train and upskill not just Multiplex’s back to the BIM model and its database via QR own staff, but also client, subcontractor codes, providing a powerful asset management and supplier teams in the use of BIM and its tool for both the FM provider and the Operator. associated programs.

BIM was also used extensively throughout the To get off the ground running, Multiplex design and construction process. Documentation engaged experienced BIM consultants PDC in a

Optus Stadium and Stadium Park | Technical Paper 6 knowledge-share contract to train the project team. This involved removing the concrete structural A number of mid-project training sessions were elements holding the concrete plats up and held, ranging from small classes of four to one-on- replacing them with steel V-props. one sessions with both Multiplex and client staff. The design was inspired by the swing arm of Marc Toward the end of the job, the operator and Marquez’s 2012 Moto2 World Championship- facilities management staff were trained in the winning motorcycle. By turning the arm upside use of the model post-handover. down, the roof’s design took shape.

Custom video tutorials and project specific The efficient use of steel provided an opportunity training guides were also produced to support to remove much of the material mass from the these face-to-face training sessions. roof structure.

Training and knowledge sharing sessions with Importantly, it also minimised working at heights. subcontractors were also chaired by Multiplex This was identified early in the project as a key BIM staff, upskilling those where possible in Revit, risk, with the original truss design requiring a Navisworks and even plugins like Dynamo. The large amount of work to be carried out on the collaborative atmosphere between the various trusses at height. subcontractor modellers also fostered a great environment of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. In a highly collaborative and best-for-project approach, the structural engineers, architects, 10. Stadium Roof Trusses subcontractor and Multiplex design team worked with the Multiplex Engineering Innovations Group With roofing dominating the aesthetics of any to redevelop the truss design into a single steel stadium design, the design of the Perth Stadium truss that could be fabricated, transported, roof was particularly complex - constructed to dressed and lifted as one piece. appear as if it is floating above ground. This minimised the need to work at the Stadium Central to the design was the engineering of an roof height where use of low order hierarchical innovative roof truss, developed using a high controls such as harnesses and static lines would load pin connection to support the structure. normally be required.

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Optus Stadium and Stadium Park | Technical Paper 7 11. Safer by Design from each discipline including project and site management, services, logistics, precinct/ Multiplex’s approach to health and safety on the civil and HSE and regional management project was underpinned by its ‘Safer by Design’ representatives. strategy, which is based on growing a mature culture, driven by senior management actions Meeting on a weekly basis, the group focused and embedding safety in the business process on the project critical health and safety risks, and decision making. defining controls and establishing hold points. Senior leaders were allocated with responsibility Safety was at the core of project planning from to manage specific risks. commencement. Wherever possible, critical construction risks were engineered out during Supplementary to the safety leadership group the design process, with the aim to achieve meetings, an open forum construction team the highest order hierarchical controls possible meeting was held weekly led by the Senior Site - focusing on the more effective and robust Manager. Safety and health was the first agenda controls and striving to eliminate the need for item. people to be exposed to high risk work activities. An example of this is the roof truss design, The construction team members were able to discussed above. raise any health and safety issue and worked collaboratively to determine practical solutions – Accountability for safety outcomes was clearly these conversations were the biggest priority, not defined and applied across the management just making sure the paperwork was complete. team, Multiplex’s employees and subcontractors. Performance indicators were established to Regional management representatives conducted continuously measure the status of health and regular unannounced workplace inspections, safety. focusing on the ‘infield’ work practices and questioning the approach being taken to manage This included but was not limited to participating the safety critical project risks. in risk workshops, re-enforcing our safety and health policy, completing regular workplace In addition to standard reporting requirements, audits and inspections, monitoring work the workforce was strongly encouraged to report practices, attending and contributing to safety near misses. Near misses were thoroughly meetings, reviewing safe work methodology and investigated and any lessons learnt shared ensuring all persons working on the site were throughout the organisation. appropriately inducted and trained. Multiplex’s approach delivered a safe working A safety leadership group was established environment for over 8,000 people who comprising senior management representatives completed over 4.2 million man hours on site.

Optus Stadium and Stadium Park | Technical Paper 8 Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd Level 1, 123 St George’s Terrace Perth, WA 6000 T: +61 9483 0899 www.multiplex.global